ANAHEIM, Calif. – Olen Zellweger drew back into the Anaheim Ducks lineup in Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens after four consecutive healthy scratches.
The 21-year-old left-handed defenseman had sat in the press box for eight of Anaheim’s previous 12 games as the most recent and consistent victim of the continued logjam among the Ducks blue liners.
But what did it take to get the dynamic young defenseman back into the line-up? Little more than the coach’s decision.
“He doesn't have to do anything. He does everything 100%,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said after Saturday’s practice. ““In this rotation, now he's on the sidelines, and I think it's not healthy for his game. We've got to get together and figure out what's the best way to get him back in, because I think he's a valuable player.”
Earlier in the season, Cronin had labelled Zellweger as a “difference maker” and at times the team’s best analytical defenseman. The 2021 second-round pick has scored four goals and added eight assists in 39 games.
However in last week’s three-game winning streak, Cronin’s desire to stick with the winning line-up meant Zellweger was stuck in street clothes, even if the Ducks coaching staff recognized it as a detriment to his development.
“It's not good for Olen because he's such a good person and he's a good player,” Cronin said. “Like I said earlier, we just gotta find a way to get him some time.”
In just over 24 hours, Cronin did find a way for Zellweger to get back into the line-up, but it was at the expense of the team’s other 21-year-old left-shot defenseman, Pavel Mintyukov.
Robert Talamantes- The Sporting Tribune
Anaheim Ducks D Pavel Mintyukov (34) passes the puck to a teammate in a game against the Nashville Predators on January 25, 2025 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
Mintyukov, who was selected 10th overall in 2022, had played in 12 straight games after swapping spots with Zellweger on the list of healthy scratches in three of six games at the end of December into early January. Mintyukov has registered four goals and seven assists in 43 games.
Unlike Zellweger, where Cronin said there wasn’t anything specific he needed to do to get back into the line-up, Mintyukov had sat out in that previous stretch with a focus on improving his off-puck defending.
Upon his return to the blue line, he formed a consistent pair with Jacob Trouba, which allowed Mintyukov to tap into his offensive instincts a bit more. Cronin has called Mintyukov a work in progress in valuing the defensive side of the puck.
“He's been good,” Trouba said. “We talked a lot, trying to help out however I can. He's got a great offensive ability. I’m trying to get him to be a little more vocal and get up in the play, be confident, play his game.
This is not the first time these two 21-year-olds have been on the defensive carousel, and it’s not the first time this situation has been detailed here.
When Cam Fowler was injured back in November, Anaheim had called up 24-year-old right-handed defenseman Drew Helleson from AHL San Diego, and Helleson immediately made himself a reliable member of the defensive corps, with his right shot allowing Cronin to balance the defensive pairs a bit more.
However, once the left-handed Fowler returned from injury, the Ducks were stacked on the left side, and with Helleson earning trust to stay in the line-up, Zellweger, Mintyukov and then Jackson LaCombe were fighting for ice time.
This was even more greatly exacerbated by the arrival of the right-handed Trouba in a trade from New York, and what followed was a weeklong rotation through the one available defensive slot on the left side until Fowler was traded.
Now, LaCombe has more than solidified his place in the line-up, and while Helleson isn’t as offensively dynamic as any of LaCombe, Zellweger or Mintyukov, he has played solidly to earn the trust of the coaching staff to maintain three right-left pairs.
Darwin Walker - The Sporting Tribune
Anaheim Ducks D (43) Drew Helleson lays a big hit on a Calgary Flames player at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.
So, that once again leaves one spot up for grabs for two young defensemen that need NHL game time--not more practice reps or a demotion to the AHL--desperately at this stage of their development, and Zellweger had gotten the short end of the hockey stick through most of January.
Helleson did sit for four of five games at the end of the Ducks six-game road trip last month, in which Zellweger would come in and usually play on his off side on the right. While Cronin has previously stated he “wasn’t married” to left-right pairs, it has become clear that is his preference.
Zellweger’s return was well received, as Ducks coach Greg Cronin praised his ability to break pucks out of the defensive zone, his fluidity in the rush game and his tireless defensive effort postgame on Sunday.
Results aside, this all has been a less than ideal situation on the Ducks back end.
Even from the start of the season, Anaheim knew it would have to alleviate the left side of its defense. Fowler even alluded after his trade to St. Louis that he knew he’d have to move to open spots for all the young left-handed blue-liners behind him.
The issue then became compounded by the arrival of Trouba and the emergence of Helleson. Cronin has said it's a good problem, as it forces players to up their competitive levels to earn their spots, but now, instead of a lefty being able to play on his off side, the right side is locked down as well.
What this all points to is the necessity of another move on the Ducks blue line, and there has been a lot of major trade activity ahead of the upcoming two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off with the March 7 trade deadline looming just two weeks after play resumes.
On the left side, Brian Dumoulin is a Stanley Cup Champion veteran whose contract expires this summer. He is the perfect rental-type player for teams gearing up for a playoff run.
Right-handed defensemen are also always valuable, and while Helleson has proven to be solid, he was not part of Anaheim’s long-term plan to begin the season, at least not in the same vein as Zellweger, Mintyukov or LaCombe.
Plus, 21-year-old right-handed Tristan Luneau has flourished in AHL San Diego this season, and while the 2022 second-rounder couldn’t hold on to his NHL spot at the start of this season, he’ll certainly be in the mix next season.
The other possibility would be to include one of those young defensemen in a move for an elite offensive player, as the Ducks look to make strides in their rebuild.
No matter what the ultimate decision is, the current situation, as described by Cronin himself, is not healthy for Anaheim’s crop of young defenseman, and the logjam is once again piling up.